A Replica's Sanctuary
by ShadowYazoo
Summary: A story about Replica Riku, Xion and Namine when they escaped from Castle Oblivion after Repliku learned the truth of Organization's plans for them and refused to accept it.
1. Chapter 1:Confrontation

Disclaimer: Repliku, Kingdom Hearts, Namine, Zexion and Xion do not belong to me but to Square Enix. If they did, Axel and Roxas will still have been alive and would have shared their one thousandth sea-salt ice-cream on top of the Clocktower by now and Sora would have solved his own problems. For once. ;P

* * *

_**Confrontation**_

Light bent and danced inside a golden bead, as a boy held it up to the setting sun. It shone brightly, contrasting sharply with the mute dark leather of the glove. A prize, that's what it was, but competitions felt meaningless to him. Just like those who took part in them. Meaningless. There were much better things in life than wasting time trying to live up to some foolish standards someone else made up.

He tossed the rest of the prize, a tree with several crystal beads still on it, into the trash can nearby, and it rang loudly in protest as it sank into the depths of the empty can, never to be seen again. The bead was pocketed and a boy continued his trek down the beige and crimson colored road underneath the blazing dying sky.

His clothes were meant to help him blend in with those who inhabited this carefree place. A set of blue jeans, a simple green shirt with a clover, and black sneakers were what he wore. But try as he may his silver hair left little room for remaining unnoticed.

Over his shoulder was thrown a simple black backpack. They traveled light, not staying in any place for long. They couldn't. As hard as it was to always have someone constantly on their tail, one got used to this strange existence after a while. Perhaps, if they haven't left it would have been easier. But then, perhaps if they haven't left, they wouldn't even be alive by now. Between that and running, one would naturally choose running.

He jumped over the railing, and left the path, landing on the smooth gray sand of the beach. He kept walking, as dusk slowly enveloped the land, and first stars came out in the skies above.

_Puppet…Tool…Fake… how about none of the above? _ He scowled, as the old, but never resolved, questions found their way back. The soft sand crumbled underneath his shoes as he walked leaving behind a shallow trail of footsteps. _Copy… I…am a Copy…But I know that I am. They tried to re-make me. They tried to wipe clean my very being. As if I am some sort of experiment, they can cancel at any time it pleases them. They are…unforgivable. I won't let them catch me. Not me not Namine. Not…Xion. ..They lied to her too...Lies…Lies are all they know_

Wind carried a waft of familiar scent. Faint, but unmistakable. _Thanks_ he silently thanked his namesake, even though his gratitude was shallow. Nobody asked him if he wanted to be a copy. But since he is, having a couple of useful skills was a plus. Actually, he was thankful for a few other things too, but he'd rather die than admit it to his "original's" face. And it could have been worse. He could have been a copy of that weakling Sora or Goofy or something equally abominable. Why was there no Copy of Sora? He didn't know. And didn't care. Now was not the time to idly contemplate. But to dodge.

So he did. A blast of cold air rushed past him and an ice missile hit the sand nearby, transforming summer instantly into winter in that one small patch. "Too slow" he remarked. "Your stench far precedes you, Zexion." As he talked, a dark wing-shaped sword responded to his summon, and Repliku tightened his grip as it rested solidly in his hand. The weapon pulled lightly, since just like its master, there was more than one, and it was equally drawn to both. Riku was too far, though, for the effect to be of any considerable significance.

_Funny. I wonder if he figured out the same thing. Probably not, he still fears darkness, and no matter what he says, somewhere deep inside that fear will persist. That's why I'll always be stronger._

He smirked silently at that thought and weighed the blade carefully in his hand. Darkness. The power it held was refreshing, and knowing that he was the only one, who was truly close to possessing that power, turned his smirk into a deviant self-congratulating smile.

It was comforting to know that Riku was alive and well somewhere out there. Why then, if he despised his very existence, was that so?

"My, that's not very nice." Zexion frowned, with cold malice flashing for a mere moment in his eyes, replaced just as fast by his usual emotionless expression. There was a mission in need of being carried out. The dark book with a tri-sigil of Organization rested open in his hand, with letters still glowing on its pages. "But you won't be able to keep this running game up for long. There is no escape from the Organization. You will surely..." Zexion had to interrupt his speech to raise a shield, just in time to block an attack. He could feel the force of the impact, even though the shield blocked the attack perfectly. Zexion's expression showed no change.

_Reckless…No one in the organization spars quite like that. Is it because..?_

"You don't know…anything! Organization is nothing but a collection of empty puppets…who fail to recognize that truth! Struggling to fulfill empty dreams, dreams you don't even understand." Repliku snarled, as he pulled back. "Try lying that you do. Organization is weak. Talk about illusions."

"What are illusions to some, to others mean everything. What is everything to you might easily be just an illusion. A dream, intangible and frail. We deceive and are deceived every day. Luckily, it is not a dream which defines who we are." Zexion smirked as five more Zexions surrounded the small area and all finished the sentence. "As far as I know, existing is a rather decent goal, something I refuse to not be allowed a chance to gain."

"Fair enough" said Repliku, quickly scanning the area, analyzing his options. The Cloaked Schemer had more than a few tricks up his sleeve, but unfortunately for him Repliku thought things through far in advance. In a battle he never did once let his attention slip or wander; never did he do anything less than his absolute best. If he did, he wouldn't forgive himself. "But you can't ask me to betray my friends. You can't ask me to give up who I am just to become the good little pawn you thought I will be. I answer to no one, and I follow no one but myself. Darkness, the true power of darkness, is at my disposal. I know you don't believe me." He smirked and vanished.

A gust of wind attacked Zexion's cloak violently, and the blue-haired man shielded his eyes from the sand which rose briefly into the thin night air. All of the copies were eliminated in less than a few seconds and Zexion felt a blade of the Soul Eater hovering dangerously close to his neck. As the sand settled, Repliku glared with deep disgust into the older man's cold night-blue eyes.

"I will not be stopped. Send your cavalry and infantry, it won't matter. I won't let you or anyone else hurt Namine or Xion. I won't let you get us back. I can't stop the Organization from trying, but I can promise you, that I'd rather draw my last breath as I am now, defending the ones I care about, than be changed like your kind friend Larxene threatened I would be."

Zexion frowned. "Namine and Xion are important to the Organization. You made a mistake by taking them with you. If you were alone, you might have had better chances. Where are they? Somewhere nearby?" his tone of voice turned almost mocking by the end. "Ah…I am sure they are"

Repliku scowled and sent a dark lightning orb straight into Zexion's chest, causing him to fly back and land a few feet away. "Leave us alone. I will hate to have to fight you to the end. I have no desire to kill. Just to exist." A sharp, short sound hissed in the night, and just as suddenly, it was gone.

As Zexion rose on his elbow to help himself get up, Repliku was already gone. The man picked up his book from the sand and gingerly dusted it off, making no move to pursue. He learned what he needed. Next time, his opponent won't get away quite so easily.

_Darkness, the true power of darkness….Can he really believe a mere Replica may have access to such power?...Ridiculous...Even if he does, Namine won't betray Sora…She can't._

Zexion smirked and let the darkness of the portal envelop him, before it all disappeared. The silence once again enveloped the beach, only to be disturbed by the soft sound of waves in the distance and crumbling of sand under silver-haired boy's boots as he continued his silent trek.


	2. Chapter 2:Beyond the Ocean

**Beyond the Ocean**

Namine watched the dark waves of the night ocean, as they played lazily with the gray sand by her white sandals. They moved the tiny grains with no effort at all, with the same calm persistence they used to wear down seemingly timeless mountains into this very sand. To think, that what was once a very tall and, unquestionably, solid mountain, now was but a collection of scattered soft pieces that fall as easily through your fingers as if they were water. Namine picked up a handful of sand, in step with that thought, and watched as it sparkled, reflecting the warm light of the fire nearby. She smiled a quiet, natural smile, and opened her fingers, letting the sand return to rest on the beach.

Repliku was busy tending to the fire, and he didn't look too happy with it. They were on a run, and there was always a chance someone could spot them. Fire didn't make hiding easier. They needed it, though, for the night was growing colder with each passing minute, and a rather dreary atmosphere clouded the beach without any light but that of the moon. Plus, fires made for some good s'mores and chased all the worries away, even if just for a little while.

Xion looked up briefly, thinking of how to phrase a sentence she was writing. A pale white of the Organization's sigil on her journal glistened coldly in the light of the fire. Namine frowned. Every member of Organization had to keep a journal and write in it each day, something Namine herself reluctantly did. She never could see a point in writing down what she will remember without fail years and years from now.

She still used the journal, away from the Castle, but only as a substitute for her drawing pad. Pictures, unlike words, held no prescribed meaning, but told a new story every time you re-visited them. Perhaps, the reason for this change was not only the drawing, but the viewers as well.

Memories were a treasure; they were, sometimes, a curse. They might, also, be part of our very being, or, as in Xion's and Roxas's case…part of someone else's. Even Repliku's memories…

Namine felt a sudden chill of the ocean breeze and tightened the blanket around her to keep the warmth from being carried away with the cold wind.

…Were as much a part of him as his own heart. If they hadn't left when they did…things would have been worse. Much worse. She heard what Larxene and Vexen were saying. She didn't plan to eavesdrop, they just paid little mind to her presence in the same room as them. Namine was to be the one to erase his memories, re-write who he was and plant in some false ones that better suited their taste. Memories are not everything, of course, but they are part of a person's heart…without them, the heart is not the same. What they were asking her to do…was unthinkable.

"Hey, Namine! You want to help us cook some s'mores?" asked Repliku with a carefree smile, waving to her from over where the fire was. He had some nice wooden sticks, a bag of marshmallows and bars of chocolate all set and ready. Xion was roasting her first marshmallow, giving her full attention to the task, trying not to burn it. They left the Organization, but Xion still wrote in her journal every day, to share tales of this adventure with her friend Roxas when they meet again.

"Sure…sounds fun," smiled Namine. She stood up, brushed off some sand from her white dress, and walked over to the fire.

Soon the s'more-making was well underway, and the bag of marshmallows was gradually growing emptier and emptier. They laughed when anyone's marshmallow switched jobs with the torch, though they still tasted just as good if not better when sandwiched with chocolate and crackers.

"It was Zexion today, wasn't it? Lexeaus and Luxord were after us a week ago. They must be tracking us somehow…" said Xion.

"Yes. They must have eyes and ears across most known worlds, with help from Dusks, perhaps. What we need…is to try something they did not think of. If we find a way to lose them, we won't have to run anymore, or risk our luck in a fight. We would be free," said Repliku. He tossed the s'more stick into the fire, which set off a small fountain of sparks that climbed up to the night sky.

"What do you mean?" asked Namine and looked over at him.

"We…go where no one had before. Open a portal to some world and go. They will look for us in the worlds we all know, and even without spies, they will eventually find us. Once we venture into unknown, however, their possibilities for finding us diminish significantly"

"But…we don't know what to expect. And whether or not we would be able to go back to known worlds If we needed to…"noted Xion.

"Yes. We do not. I promise you, however, that wherever we go, I will not let anything harm us. And if we do find ourselves stranded, I will do all in my power to find the way back. It may be our best chance, and I do not see any other way at the moment. Namine. Xion. What do you think, shall we try?"

The three agreed.

* * *

Black boots stopped next to the recent remnants of the campfire.

"Hrm. I…don't like this. All the Dusks are silent. Which means…damn. Xion. Why must you always make things difficult?...We'll find you. And we will bring you both back….That I promise"

Axel frowned and glanced at the ghostly Dusk nearby. It always takes them a little while to track their escapees down, but they always did, until now, that is. He waved the creature off and it dissolved into the daylight.

The fire-yielder looked past where Dusk just was, and out to the misty blue line of where the ocean met the sky. He wondered where they could be…then sighed and smiled.

"Guess now, the hunt begins for real."


	3. Chapter 3:Distant Shore

**Distant Shore**

Water, clean and transparent, stayed calm and unchanging in the solemn quiet of the lake in the Forgotten Capital. The lake's cold beauty seemed to defy the passage of time itself. A remnant of the past, persevering to protect the memory of what was necessary to be remembered, even if there was no one left who could remember.

Trees surrounded the lake, barren of leaves but not barren of life. As moonlight flowed through their trunks and branches from the full moon in the darkened skies above, they replied with an even stronger silver glow of their own, halting the onset of night and basking the area for miles around with a constant clear white light that was to never dim.

A pale branch snapped under Yazoo's boot, on his otherwise silent patrol of the woods. Things were quiet, for now, but he was certain that Vincent, one of the more gloomy accomplices of their Brother, was somewhere nearby. Loz spotted him just a few days ago, when it was his turn to scout the area, which wasn't all that hard, considering red is a desperately poor choice of color for someone whose aim was to remain unnoticed.

_I wonder…What is it he is trying to accomplish here? I venture he is not so foolish as to believe he can stop us solely with his own unreliable demon-lent powers. He hadn't made a move against us as of yet. Then why?_

"Yazoo…Anything?" Kadaj's commanding voice, with its cold anger only somewhat subdued by static, ringed in the silence of the woods from Yazoo's Comm.

"Nothing as of yet, Brother. However, it shouldn't take much longer," Yazoo smiled. Vincent might have thought to have outmaneuvered them, but unfortunately for him it was quite a futile thing to try and challenge Remnants on their own ground.

"Good. I grow increasingly tired of their incessant meddling; it is about time the ranks grew thinner."

"Certainly…Brother" nodded Yazoo, and once again solemn silence enveloped the unnatural woods. Remnant checked the area for anything out of place, a task made easier by his sharper senses, same ones that gave the area an added faint eerie glow, twisting and changing as lifestream ebbed its way around all the things living, but everything checked out so far. Vincent would have stood out as a lit up Christmas tree in a desert, with all those demons harbored inside of him, so it was a safe bet that he wasn't anywhere near.

Certain, Yazoo continued on his way. His boots left no sound, and only record of his ever being here were his light, almost unperceivable, footsteps in the silver gray soil of the Woods.

Silence was broken as darkness came alive all of a sudden, and rose up from the ground to claim space for its own, forming a gate. Yazoo froze, and his hand instinctively reached for Velvet Nightmare and felt the cold solid steel of the weapon, as his mind raced to explain what it was that he was seeing. As far as he knew, the Planet held many strange and rather feeble powers, but none of them dealt directly with darkness. Could it be, then…?

Before he got a chance to finish that thought, three figures emerged from the gate, all short…children!?

Red from a familiar cape flashed past the trees in the corner of his eye…Strange why didn't he pick up Vincent's presence if he was that close?

_Cape...It must be...Blast it_

Vincent ducked as one shot barely missed his head and the second one pierced his cape, halting for a mere second in front of the three children. Whatever they were, it was clearly dangerous for them to stay here. But one of them…was he..yet another Remnant? Strange energy, quite unlike that of the Planet, flowed through the boy, tinted with a familiar overpowering shade of darkness. The boy's fierce emerald eyes met the golden ones, drained from any and all emotion, of the older man.

"Repliku!!" screamed Namine, finding herself and Xion on Vincent's broad shoulder."Help!"

An involuntary gasp escaped Vincent's lips as in his hesitation one of the bullets left a burning trail in his left side, reminding of the high cost of wasting even a second. Vincent took off, and with a few jumps off the trees, climbed out of the range of Velvet Nightmare, disappearing into the blackened skies.

Once again Yazoo found himself alone in the Woods, bewildered. Who were they? Could Vincent have known they were coming? No… his expression was just as puzzled as Yazoo's. Hmph. He must tell Kadaj of this, perhaps this new development could be used to their advantage.

The Remnant began running, sending off ripples in the small puddle nearby. Something has changed, and the Planet surely did notice.

Rufus glanced down, as the black box in his hand with bright yellow Caution tape suddenly got just a breath heavier.

_What in blazes?..._

Worry flashed in normally calm eyes of the Chief Turk, in fear of something he could never truly understand.


	4. Chapter 4:Hiding in the Clouds

**Hiding in the Clouds**

"Oh...wow!" exclaimed Namine, as she leaned in closer to a thin tinted glass of Shera's window, to get a better look at the city that was below, hidden in part by clouds. The ship was hovering in place, calmly resting in the sunlit sky. The glass vibrated slightly, responding to what, no doubt, were some very powerful machines that kept this heavy ship from getting an even better look at the ground down below.

Namine swallowed. They were up really high, and even though she knew it was safe, the birds flying below, and the clouds just drifting by mere few feet away from the tips of her white sandals seemed to suggest otherwise.

It felt…right… to be up here. For the first time she could remember, she didn't feel trapped, or burdened by the thought of what was to come and of what she must do but does not wish to. A smile found its way back, as she watched the group of swallows dive in and out of the clouds with shrill, cheerful cries that sang of freedom; they were black streaks against the white clouds, like rushed strokes of a painter's brush, drawn and erased in a hurry, then drawn again, too fast, intangible even to a brush.

She thought of a new drawing she would like to make. Already, the image began to form in her mind, so it was only a matter of drawing it now. She remembered leaving her drawing pad on a table by the teapot, when they had their first breakfast here, on this airship.

Namine glanced around the spacious room, surrounded on all three sides by tall spotless windows. It housed the steering controls of the ship, so she thought it was proper to dub this room 'The Bridge.' That's probably what it was called anyway. But she only heard of ships, just the sea-faring ones, so this was all brand new to her.

Cid, the pilot, was walking busily and checking something on the status display screens, since there was no need to fly the ship anywhere at the moment. Namine didn't know if she should help or not, but they probably were managing alright as it was.

"What's there, Namine?" asked Xion, walking up. She spent a good part of the morning touring the ship, trying to figure out the world they ended up in. The ship was rather neat though.

"Just clouds" Namine replied softly. "And swallows" She added with a nod and a slight smile.

Xion looked out, to see if she could catch a glimpse of a few.

"Ah..There they are… It's such a nice day! Never knew clouds could be so..amazing. They are completely different when you see them up close"

Off in the distance a much smaller airship dove out of the cloud, and continued on its way, flying further away from the city. It looked much less streamlined than Shera, probably because it was carrying cargo and needed all the space for it.

"How so?" asked Namine, thinking that she probably should go get her drawing pad, it didn't feel right to put it off when she had a drawing in mind.

"All the shadows...you can see them from up here. They give volume to the clouds, and since they don't move fast, you have time to take it all in. And horizon seems to be pushed further away. It's larger than life, just like the ocean, only it's white and in the sky."

Namine nodded and smiled. "Yes, it sure feels that way. I think it would be even more amazing at sunset."

"Yeah" said Xion with a smile. "I hope we'll still be above clouds to see it. Maybe we can ask Cid?"

"Sure, I don't think he will mind."

Cid was a nice guy, and it was clear that Shera was not simply just another ship to him. Shera was a name of his wife, so there was no doubt this name was important. Namine heard that she had fallen ill recently...she bowed her head slightly, in a silent prayer. The machinery of the ship hummed in harmony from how well it was maintained, while pictures on the walls in the dining room and in corridors suggested that crew saw it as more of a home than a transport to get from point A to point B.

"Namine! Xion!"

They turned to find out who was calling them, and saw Repliku. The boy was carrying a notepad with a pencil bag sitting on top of it and in his other hand he had three Popsicle sticks, green, blue and red.

"Namine, you forgot your drawing pad, thought I'll bring it to you. And you don't have to draw with just pencils now; Yuffie told me she had a spare paintbrush and some cool colors you can borrow" he handed the notepad to Namine. "Is anyone up for some ice-cream?"

"Aye! Can I have the red one?" asked Xion.

"Thanks, Repliku. Blue one, if you please," Namine's eyes lit up at mention of the watercolors. She always wanted to try them out, and it was wonderful that now she could.

"Sure" Repliku handed out the ice-cream, leaving the green one for himself. "Isn't it nice here?"

Repliku seemed a little more at ease now, though he still didn't lower the defenses. Understandable, since this was their first day in this unfamiliar place, but Namine wished that Repliku wouldn't have to be on guard twenty four seven and could enjoy this time while it was here.

"Mhmm," nodded Xion."What were you up to, Repliku?

"Just talking to several people about this world and about the guy we saw in those Woods yesterday. This world had seen its fair share of struggle and strife, from near obliteration of this planet to a rampaging illness, called Geostigma. It is not contagious, but it is deadly. The guy we saw was one of the Remnants, called Yazoo. There are two more, and all of them are bad news. They are related in some way to Sephiroth, an ally of Jenova, who is gone now, but his legacy lives on through them."

"So Vincent just meant to keep us out of harm's way? "

"It would seem so. We should be safe up here; it is an airship after all. Remnants do not have one, and if anyone from Organization comes, they'll have a hard time finding us. I hope they don't. Running is truly tiresome, and next time we might not be as lucky in another world," Repliku frowned, as memories from before darkened his thoughts.

Done with tasks that needed his immediate attention, Cid, a rough-looking but honest at heart pilot of the Shera, walked up to the three children, with a big, warm smile.

"So, how do you all like it onboard Shera so far? I am sorry we are not flying somewhere more exciting, but nothing I can do about it at the moment. Need to wait for others to return, you see."

"Do not worry… we are fine, we couldn't have dreamt of anything that even came close to splendor of your ship and generosity of her crew. We are truly lucky to be here. Thank you, you do not know how much it means to us," said Repliku; Namine and Xion both nodded with smiles.

"Eh..heheh" Cid rubbed the back of his neck, slightly embarrassed by all this praise. "We haven't really done that much, just helping out friends in need, wish that wasn't such a frequent theme of a day…but that's how it seems to go. And please, do not feel like you owe us anything, it was our pleasure to help...feel free to wander around the ship and do whatever you would like – it is as much your home as it is ours. That's unfortunate you do not have anywhere else to go…Hard to imagine you had to leave your very own world, and escape to this one."

"Thank you, Cid. It is…hard to think of at first, but there are many more worlds than just this one...each writing its own story and having its own players, but they all do have something in common…they all have the same sky, one sky, one destiny," said Namine.

"One sky? Hmm...But I have not seen a way to get to another world in all my years of flying airships, so how can they all have the same sky?"

"They do. You just need to think of a way to see it when you look up… all of us came from another word. And the sky..it always looks familiar wherever you go, even if it is somewhat different."

"Huh..I've never thought of that before. You kids sure do have a lot of adventures. Not that unlike me when I was your age. Do you wish to go back to your own world someday?"

"Of course" nodded Xion. "It is our home after all, with friends left behind. But we can't go back yet, not with the Organization looking for us."

"Yeah…those are some odd characters; they do not sound like good people at all, from what I've heard. You are safe here, don't worry. Well, I got to go work on something, but I hope you have a nice rest of the day. Sun should set soon - then there will be dinner. Don't be late, its Yuffie's turn to cook tonight. I even heard rumors of shuriken cookies being on the menu…" Cid smiled and winked as he turned to walk away.

All of them nodded "We will be there. Thanks again."

About an hour later Repliku, Namine and Xion came back to the observation deck and watched their first sunset. The colors of the sky and the clouds were breathtaking, and there was nothing said since for a moment nothing needed to be said. The warm rays of the setting sun danced inside a golden bead that Repliku held in his hand, coloring the room around them with a silent dance of reflected rays on the walls and windows of Shera. Xion noticed it, and with a nod Repliku held the bead up to the sun. The rays shone brightly as they escaped the bead, and Repliku, Namine and Xion watched it up until the sun set behind the clouds and artificial lights came on inside.

_Hope…Freedom…Somehow they didn't seem just like empty words anymore…Home…Were they closer to finding the sanctuary they dreamed of for so long?.._

…_Hope…_


	5. Chapter 5:Friends Left Behind

Big thanks to all my readers and reviewers! Your support means so much to me! :D

* * *

Friends Left Behind

_That's it for today. I hope I am not forgetting anything. I wish I could remember it all without fail, just like Namine does, but I cannot. There are so many things that pass unnoticed and are soon forgotten, as if they never happened. Xemnas said that this is how Nobodies are in this world, known to no one, as if we do not exist. That ringed true when all I saw was the Castle and its many white rooms, floating in the dimension with no sky, where you couldn't tell night from day. Everything stood still, nothing ever changed. I didn't know there could be anything else, so I wasn't sad. But the truth of what Xemnas told us slowly faded away after I met you. It faded into the sunsets at the Clocktower where we laughed over ice-cream. Perhaps one needs a heart to truly be able to laugh, but to us, it didn't seem to matter. As long as we could laugh, it felt that things will be okay, and as long as we had each other, we had a reason for being here. We'll meet again soon, Roxas. Until then, I will keep saving up change for more ice-cream. I already have enough for two weeks._

-End of Log Entry, Day 25th-

Xion closed her Journal and looked up, past the leaves of the potted plant, at the quiet scenery of the night sky glistening with many small stars above the silver ocean of clouds.

_Wow…this is beautiful. I can see so far…_

Just yesterday she had never imagined anything being taller than the Clock tower…and here she was, looking _down _at the clouds. This world really is amazing. She wished Roxas was here…he would have loved to see this, for sure.

"You still up? Worried about something?" inquired a calm, honest voice. A voice she recognized as Cloud's. They met earlier that day. Cid introduced him as the Chocobo of the group, which Xion didn't quite understand, but which made Yuffie laugh to tears. Seeing that scene made Xion smile. They really were friends, weren't they?

"Huh?...no..no…I was just thinking. My friend, Roxas is still with the Organization. He couldn't come with us, because he wasn't at Castle Oblivion when we escaped. I…guess...I am worried about him. He could be one of the scouts of the Organization who would come looking for us. Then Repliku will have to fight him, and I don't want that to happen. They are both my dearest friends."

"Hmm…There is no point in worrying about what hasn't happened yet. If Roxas is your friend before being anything else, he wouldn't listen to what Organization is telling him. He will probably join your side, and that's if they can find you."

Cloud frowned, as painful memories of Shinra's chase found their way back. Even though he wasn't completely aware of what was happening, preoccupied by JENOVA's cells raging battle within him, he knew that both he and Zack were targets. No matter how much they ran, Shinra was always there, chasing them like a hunter would, until finally Cloud was free…but not before the hard cost was paid, not before he lost his best friend forever…

"It is not fair for all of you to have to endure something like this. But now that you are on Shera, don't forget that you have us to lend you a hand. Leave the worrying to us, and live, at the very least while here, without fears…fear and worry shouldn't be a constant part of a young person's life…He'll be fine, alright?"

Xion nodded, with a grateful smile.

"Thank you. I…needed to hear that. I hope he will be."

She pondered if she should ask it, but…well…there was no harm in trying, right?

"Hmm…Cloud…what's a…Chocobo?"

Cloud coughed and pretended to be intently studying the plant that was growing in a pot, which looked a little like a small palm tree. It had a few ribbons tied around it, similar to the ones on his arm.

"Ahem…It's a bird, all yellow, usually, with tail feathers sticking out like…this" Cloud gestured with his arms on both sides of his hair, truly glad that Yuffie wasn't around at the moment. "There is a Chocobo farm in Nibelheim…so you may get a chance to see the real one. We'll be around that area in two days from now."

Xion laughed.

"It will be nice to get to see them. Thank you for everything, Cloud. See you later"

"Sure," Cloud nodded with a smile, as Xion waved goodbye and left. His smile soon faded though, as his thoughts returned to what had happened over the past few days. Remnants were on the move, nowhere to be found, and he didn't like that. No…Not at all.

* * *

Silver sand crumbled easily between Kadaj's gloved fingers, and rained down to the ground as a fine black powder.

"You say it happened here, Yazoo?" The youngest Remnant asked, studying the sand with suspicion.

"Yes. A portal appeared right over there. And the boy was standing just where you are. I have reasons to suspect that he was the one who opened the portal."

"What reasons?" he asked, as the sand gradually returned to its original silver color, at least on the surface. The Planet tried to absorb that which it could not. Energy unlike its own. Jenova's energy was not of this world, and now Geostigma rages across the Planet, a cry of the Planet failing to grasp that which it does not understand.

"Vincent had noticed it too…he hesitated, as if he was uncertain if he can trust that child. Almost afraid."

"And yet he ended up taking all three of them with him. I see it important we find out just what those children are and what power dwells within the boy. It just may shift the winds in our favor, bringing this tiresome quest at a much awaited conclusion"

* * *

The forest was now quiet, with no sign of movement or sound, except for an occasional flash of a passing firefly. A single pale red petal drifted slowly on the surface of the clear pool of water. There were never any red flowers that grew here. Flowers in general were a rare sight on the Planet.


	6. Chapter 6:The Chase

The Chase

A single red petal drifted slowly on the still surface of the lake at the Forgotten Capital. There were no flowers that bloomed here, only barren trees that glowed with a distant pale light. Their glow did not brighten the man's dark cloak – in fact, the light seemed to sink and disappear into the black fabric, never to return.

Marluxia coldly surveyed the area. His expression was that of annoyance, even though that particular emotion was toned down, just like all his emotions were. To truly feel and express them one needed a heart, something that Nobodies like Marluxia, Axel and Namine did not have.

His annoyance was brought about by how this simple chase escalated into a task that may never reach a conclusion. The number of unexplored worlds was simply too vast. And he did not plan on spending the rest of his life obeying Superior's orders by looking for their 'precious keyblade wielder', 'a witch with a power over memories' and 'the rebel Experiment'. He had much different plans for the future, but fate intervened at a rather inconvenient time.

Marluxia brought his hand up, to summon Dusks out of nothingness they dwelled in. Menial labor of browsing countless miles of unknown worlds was best left to them, and it wasn't like they minded being called on to help. They could only blindly obey wishes of those with power.

But this time Dusks did not respond to Marluxia's command. The woods stayed quiet, and the water's surface briefly reflected a faint green glow of a stream of light, which was too faint to be seen in the air above.

Marluxia narrowed his eyes and repeated the summon, but once again no response…what was the matter here? It never failed before.

Just perfect…now he'd have to…

A crack of a twig behind him alerted The Graceful Assassin that he was no longer alone here. Sharply turning around Marluxia sent a strong gust of wind at whatever or whoever that was. A pained yelp escaped a creature's throat as it hit the closest trunk. It did not stay dazed for long, as it was already getting up on its feet. White fur covered its body and sharp horns grew from its head. The creature lacked eyes; instead red lines ran from the tip of its nose to its tail. With a roar it charged at Marluxia, teeth barred.

Swiftly jumping out of the way, he summoned his scythe. There was no fear in the man's eyes - only a sly smirk graced his features.

"Hmph…how foolish" A whirlwind of flower petals surrounded the beast, confusing its sense of smell. It growled and lunged, only to find a sharp blade emerging suddenly from the right, threatening to slice it in two. Moving to dodge it, the creature cried out loudly as the real blade found its mark.

Petals seized their dance and softly rained down on the ground. Some got caught in the fur of the now lifeless attacker. Green-blue light enveloped the creature and it vanished, re-absorbed into the lifestream.

Marluxia watched it disappear then looked around the area, to see if any other monster was so kind as to throw him a welcome party. However, there were no signs of movement or other life around. Well, by battling beasts he would not get any closer to finding if their escapees are somewhere in this world, so it was time to head to a more populated place.

Letting the scythe vanish Marluxia started walking down the path at a brisk pace. On closer inspection, it was more of a road than a path, for it was fairly wide and covered in tire marks.

Silence once again enveloped the forest, as it glowed bright under the night sky.


	7. Chapter 7: Out of Place

**Out of Place**

A flash of light reflected briefly from the cold metal surface of the Kingdom Key, as a brown-haired boy brought it above his head and down at the heartless that was too slow to get out of the way. A pink heart escaped the quickly vanishing body of the creature and floated up into the sky, to be united with the great moon by the name of Kingdom Hearts.

Sora knew that heartless were bad. He also knew that he had to eliminate an X number of them so that Xemnas's plan could be fulfilled. The guy wanted to help those under his command to regain their hearts, and that sounded like a good thing to do. All Sora needed to do to help was fight some heartless, and he could do that with his eyes closed.

This was the last heartless in this area, so Sora took a minute to rest, by plopping down on the ground. He was getting tired easily, since the keyblade weighed a lot. Was it always as heavy?

While he rested, Donald and Goofy stayed on guard, looking around and making sure their supplies of Potions and Ethers were in good shape.

'And what do you think you're doing, just lazing around? Those hearts aren't going to collect themselves, you know.'

Roxas shook his head. Xion was never as negligent as this Sora guy. She took Superior's orders seriously, and always did her best, even if her condition worsened at times.

How was she…now?

'Hey! It was only a second. And we have been fighting heartless for hours. Aren't you tired?' Sora yawned and stayed where he was. Idea of standing up, let alone fighting any more, didn't sound at all appealing. He was wearing the same black coat as Roxas, since those are the ones that were needed to safely go through the Dark portals, especially if one was to use them often. His shoes were black, but still as big and puffy as usual.

'No. Few hours are nothing. There are still many more hearts we need to collect, and the longer it takes, the longer members of Organization XIII stay as they are, not fully existing but not gone either. I am one of them too, you know.'

'Alright, alright! I get it' Sora quickly got up and rested the heavy keyblade on his shoulder. For a second an overwhelming feeling of sadness washed over him, but it was just as quickly gone. 'Break is over. Time to go kick some' Sora grinned widely and held up his fist.

Roxas bumped his black gloved fist into his, even though it was ridiculous and he didn't quite get it. Goofy and Donald were more excited about it and bumped their fists with Sora too. After this 'ritual' was over, all four of them continued on their quest in the world which sprouted an abundance of green vegetation and was inhabited by many bugs and loud birds.

* * *

A bright light sparkled in the distance, and Marluxia paused on the side of a road, watching it. The light was getting closer and it soon became clear that it was accompanied by a loud rumble of a powerful engine. A motorcycle.

Trees grew wider apart here, which meant that the edge of the forest of the unusual glowing trees was near. Outside of the forest it was still dark, so Marluxia couldn't see who the rider was until he was just a few dozen feet away.

The Assassin's hand twitched, about to call forth his weapon, when he saw that the owner of the bike had hair color similar to their target. But the illusion quickly vanished, since the man was much older and his eyes, although green, were more like that of a cat than a human. Besides what were the odds of Repliku coming to greet him?

The forest used to serve as a base for the silver-haired trio, but ever since AVALANCHE group discovered it the appeal of keeping that particular base quickly vanished. They preferred to keep their moves unknown to their Big Brother's accomplices; and to Shinra lapdogs as well, since those had a knack for getting into Remnant's way.

However, this was also a place where they saw the portal. It was quite possible that it would appear again. That's why Yazoo returned here for one quick check up on the place. And it seemed the trip wasn't in vain.

The guy who was standing on the otherwise quite abandoned road had the same aura as the kids that appeared here just a few days ago. He wore a dark cloak, so he could have blended in with the surroundings if he wished to remain unnoticed. Yet, he stood still while Yazoo cut the engine and brought the bike to a halt next to him. Dust, lifted by the tires, was slowly falling down behind him, catching frail light of the trees nearby.

'You aren't from here. Mind answering a few questions? The latter was a demand rather than a request. The gunslinger was ready to fight if the man refused, either way they will get the answers they seek. And no one was here to interfere this time.

Marluxia studied his opponent. It seemed that the gun strapped to his thigh was his main weapon, but as this was an unknown world, he couldn't count on it being his only weapon. And what exactly did he wish to know? The stranger could have just as easily passed by him without stopping, yet he didn't.

'I do not see why not. If you will answer mine as well' Marluxia noticed that shadows behind the trees were unusually thick. Could those be more of the beasts he ran into earlier?

'Oh…that's interesting' Yazoo looked around to see if there was anyone else here. If he missed anything, the shadow beasts that were summoned should take care of it. Yazoo wasn't taking chances. He did not wish to anger Brother further after the last mishap. 'You first'

'Did you, by any chance, hear of the three children which appeared recently? One silverhaired boy and two girls?' it was a long shot, but it was worth a try.

'Indeed I have. In this very forest is where I met them. They give of energy hat is foreign to the Planet. So do you' Yazoo nodded to himself. They were connected somehow, after all.

'Where are they now?'

'I do not know. Someone interfered and took them away the moment they arrived through a portal of sorts. Now answer me. Who are they? And where are you all coming from?'

'They are fugitives who we seek to capture. We are from another world. There are, in fact, many worlds that exist.'

'Now there is something you don't hear every day,' Yazoo smirked, playing with the idea for a bit. Mother would be pleased to hear about this. 'You have a name?'

'Marluxia. Do you know who took them?' this was turning out to be a better day than he originally thought.

'Yes, our foes. It would seem, our goals coincide'

Marluxia nodded.

* * *

'Hey! You heard the latest from the search?' The blond-haired musician ran into the main room of the Castle in The World that Never Was. Which also happened to be headquarters for Organization XIII . 'They narrowed down the world! No more working our behinds off on browsing through all of them. WOOHOO!'

How could he be so enthusiastic? Oh right. There was nothing more important to Demyx than not working. Such a healthy attitude.

'Of course, Superior had announced it at our last meeting. Axel, Larxene and Xigbar had already left to back up Marluxia. It is up to us to take care of remaining missions, while they are gone. So don't go slacking off just yet.'

'Ahh…Maaaan' Demyx sighed heavily and hang his head low. 'And hey! I wasn't…going to…!'

'Right. You only went to one world, so don't even know what you are complaining about here.' Zexion added nonchalantly.

'But I went thoroughly through it!' Demyx was getting an impression he was being picked on here.

'I am sure you did.'


	8. Chapter 8: Golden Feathers

Golden Feathers

Vincent nodded a greeting when the three children joined them at Shera's Bridge, but maintained his silence. There was still a lot they didn't know about those kids. But it seemed they would be around here for a while so there was no need to rush things. He planned to have a talk with the boy sooner rather than later, though.

'Morning, lads!' cheerfully greeted them Cid. His ship was now sailing below the clouds, on decent towards its destination. 'You ready for some R&R?'

'R&R?' asked Xion. The only abbreviation she remembered that sounded close to this was RTC – Return to the Castle. She heard that particular term on her missions with Roxas. There seemed to be no Castles anywhere though.

'Yah, Rest and Relaxation, ya know? We've got some business to take care off, but your mission is to take it easy and have fun. Two words - Chocobo Farms. When you see what they are about, you wouldn't want to leave. Trust me…' Cid flashed a bright smile and nodded to the large windows 'See all those lively open fields and wild forests? That's where Chocobos normally live, so they feel happiest here. Plus it does young people no good being cooped up inside an airship for weeks. Granted she is a fine ship, but the point still stands'

The scenery outside was rather green, as opposed to the usual soft white of clouds. They didn't pass many buildings or roads, so there was a certain 'Middle of Nowhere' feel to it. Occasionally specks of bright yellow could be seen amidst the greenery.

Namine stepped closer to the window to get a better look at them. As the ship continued its descent it was also slowing down, making it easier to distinguish what it is they were seeing. The yellow dots turned out to be birds, very large birds. None of them were flying but quite a few were running through the fields. Also all of them had bushy golden tail feathers that were sticking out in a pattern reminiscent of Cloud's chosen hairstyle.

"Those are Chocobos, right?" asked Namine, amazed. She glanced at Cloud and smiled "I can…see the resemblance."

Yuffie smacked the swordsman on his shoulder and burst out laughing. Cloud simply nodded. "They are. Yuffie is the one who will stay with you guys, and show you the ropes. She is kind of a clutz, so please keep a watch on her too."

"Am not!" protested Yuffie with a huff. "You meanie! Ninja can't be uncoordinated. That's just..it doesn't make any sense!"

"You do know he's got a point" calmly pitched in Vincent. He remembered quite a few times when Yuffie broke something or other after not taking into account that vehicles move and hence aren't the best places to practice ninja poses.

"Vince! Not you too!..." she sent him a death glare but he waved it off with his clawed hand.

"Just be careful"

A slight jolt that went through the structure of the ship announced that they were back on the ground. The always moving scenery outside the windows now stood still.

"Alright, don't have too much fun without us" winked Cid at the trio and Yuffie, meaning the exact opposite, of course. "I will be on the ship if you need me."

As the ramp lifted and went back into the ship behind them, the familiar mechanical hum disappeared and was replaced with chirps of smaller birds, a chorus of noises made by various invisible bugs in the bushes, by rustle of leaves and an occasional 'Kweh!' over in the direction of the fenced in fields.

The air smelled like dirt, but it wasn't a bad smell. Because with so much life everywhere it seemed proud to be supporting it all. This smell was a composite of smells, from the wild flowers that covered the fields, the hay that was kept in large bails for the winter and rain that probably was here a few hours ago, since it was sunny now.

"Its so peaceful here," said Namine as she walked down the path that led to the shed. The fine gravel rustled under her feet. "I wish I was wearing different shoes though," she added when a small but sharp rock jumped in between her toes. Her sandals worked fine for walking around the castle, the beach or Shera but they were hardly suitable for countryside.

The path was pretty long, and Repliku wasn't about to let Namine endure hardship the whole way there. His shoes would be too big, but maybe he could carry…

Before he had a chance to finish that thought, Yuffie already lifted the blonde girl on her back with a hefty "Hyahh!" and trotted up the path, laughing. Repliku and Xion glanced at each other and ran after them too. For a brief second Repliku remembered how Riku, his 'original self', used to race with his friend Sora…and in that same moment Xion looked like that boy.

Bewildered Repliku shook his head and things looked normal again. They kept the same pace all the way to the shed, and gradually a smile found a way back to his face. It really was nice here.

Yuffie knocked on a half closed door of the shed. "Just a minute! Coming!" a rough masculine voice replied. A few seconds later door was pushed aside by a guy in a red jacket with green glasses and a cheerful smile. A red chocobo was fixing its feathers off to the side. A single golden streak crossed one of its eyes.

"Visitors! Welcome, Welcome!" guy smiled at the company. "I am Patrick Xavier, and this big red bird here is Frakturr. He is kind of the leader of the flock, so other Chocobos tend to listen to him. Its nice to meet you. What can I help you with?"

"Yo! Name's Yuffie and these are Repliku, Xion and Namine. Ya know, they never saw a chocobo before so we decided to stop by."

"Wow, must be from the city. It's a shame some people go their whole life without seeing one. Well, you've come to the right place," he beckoned the large bird to come over.

Namine watched the chocobo awestruck, it definitely was the largest bird she had ever seen. He looked ferocious and intimidating, but his eyes were very intelligent. She reached out to pet him and he didn't pull away, it actually looked like he was smiling. His feathers were really soft.

Repliku was glad to see Namine smiling, after all, there wasn't much to smile about back in castle. Without knowing it, he was smiling as well.

"Chocobos are different, just like people. They love to run and play, so as long as there is open space and plenty of new experiences, they are happy" Patrick gave a crush course on animals he worked with for most of his life.

"I see. Sounds like a nice life," said Xion, looking around. Yellow chocobos reminded her a little of Roxas, because of his hairstyle.

_Heh…I wonder what he would think once I tell him that?_

"Very true. Well, I assume you guys would like a trail ride. Its one thing knowing how fast those birds can be, and entirely different thing to actually experience it. Come on, lets get saddled up and get the show on the road" Patrick said with a smile. "Namine, you can ride Frakturr, its seems like you guys are pals already. I don't mind."

"Really?" Namine beamed and petted the red bird again. Frakturr gave an energetic 'Wark!' agreeing with the proposition.


End file.
